Process of manufacture of a metallurgical product intended to bemelted for forming ametal or an alloy



March 4, 1941.

R. MAUTSCH PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF A METALLURGICAL PRODUCT INTENDED 7TO BE MELTED FOR FORMING A METAL OR AN ALLOY Fild Dec. 14, 1937IINVENTOR ROBERT M'AUTSCH BY fimwa,

ATTY Patented Mar. 4, 1941 V UNITED STATES 2,234,127 PATENT OFFICE-PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF A METAL- LURGICAL PRODUCT INTENDED TO BEAMlllilfglD FOR. FORMING A METAL R AN Robert Mautsch, Brussels, BelgiumApplication December 14, 1937, Serial No. 179,788 In Germany December24, 1936 4 Claims. (Cl. 75-05) I to that fact do not possess the samecomposition nor the same compactness in any cross-section. Theirelectrical conductivity may likewise vary very considerably from onecross-section to another. Apart from the facility which they offer fortheir introduction into the melting furnaces, these bundles of scrap donot in said furnaces afford any advantage over scrap thrown inuncompressed. The composition of the molten o metaLtherefore remainssubject to variations.

- The present invention relates to a metallurgical product intended tobe employed as starting material for the easy production by fusion ofmetals or of alloys which have regularly to possess a welldeterminedcomposition throughout. their entire,

mass.

The metallurgical product according to the invention is produced bythecompression of metallic fibres having practically the same crosssectionthroughout their entire length and distributed in a practically uniformmanner throughout the entire length of said product.

This product therefore consists of a very intimate physical mixture ofits different constituents in a very finely divided state. Despite thisstate of division, the product is very rigid and is not deteriorated byordinary manipulations, even when it is in the form of thin rods.

' Due to the regularity of the fibres, the compactness of themetallurgical product according to the invention is in addition the samein any cross-section whatsoever. Furthermore, due to its highcompactness and the continuity of its fibres, said product conducts.electric current almost as well as a solid conductor having the 45 samecross-section as the product and having the same composition as thefibres-forming the product. This high electric conductivity represents avery important advantage when the fusion of the product is to beeffected electrically and above all 50 when the productis utilised aselectrode for electric arc welding by hand.

For producing a metallurgical p roduct according to the invention, thefibres are advantageously subjected to a preliminary compression beforein- 55 troducing them into the pressintended to compress them to thedesired degree.

, yPreferably, use is made of continuous output presses consisting ofrolls, driven like the rolls of rolling mills.- a so with a view :toincreasing the rigidity of the compressed product, a twisting movementmay be imparted to the whole of the constituent fibres of the productduring the compression of the latter.

The invention finally relates to acprocess for the manufacture ofmetallic products, particularly 5 alloys, by fusion, wherein theelements united by compression are melted. In the process according tothe invention, the starting materials employed are metallurgicalproducts produced by the compression of metallic fibres, havingpractically the same cross-section throughout their entire length anddistributed in -a practically uniform manner throughout the entirelength of said products.

According to an advantageous modification, in 15 a sequence ofcontinuous operations, the compression of the metallic fibres is firstefiected to form continuous metal rods of any desired profile, and saidrods are then introduced into a melting furpace in which they are fusedand from which the molten bath is cast.

According to another advantageous modification, the aforesaidmetallurgical products are employed as feeding metal for welding.

Other features and detailsof the invention will 25 appear in the courseof the description of the accompanying drawing representingdiagrammatically and merely by way of example some constructions of theinvention.

Figure 1 represents diagrammatically a method of producing themetallurgical products according to the invention.

,Figure 2 is a diametrical section on the line 11-11 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a press for effecting a 5 twisting of the whole ofthe fibres at the same time as a compression thereof.

In these various figures, the same reference numerals denote the samep'arts.

For producing a metallurgical product according to the invention,metallic fibres 3 such as those produced by the planing of sheet metaland commonly employed for the scouring of articles are introduced into ahopper 3. Said metallic "fibres are in the form of long, fine elementshaving practically. the same cross-sectionthroughout their entirelength. When they have been united into a mass, said elements appearlike a bundle of hay. Such a mass may also be compared with a ball ofcotton or wool, the fibres of which would obviously be much coarser.According to whether these fibres are more or less coarse, they arecommonly termed "iron fibref or iron wool. Due to the fact that thefibres are interlaced to a considerable extent when compressed,

a rigid agglomerate is obtained without the use of a binding agent andwithout the use of an excessive pressure. In this agglomerate,therefore, the fibres are distributed in apractically uniform mannerthroughout its entire length.

The mass of fibres 3 is drawn from the hopper 2 by rolls which subjectsaid mass to a preliminary compression. The cylinder 5 thus formed isguided in a tube 6 towards a second continuous press comprising rolls 1and'8 (Figures 1 and 2) similar to the rolls of rolling mills.

The cylinder 5 is compressed powerfully between these rolls and leavesthe latter in the form of an agglomerated rod 9 according to theinvention. Experience shows that it is possible in this way, even inthecold and without any binding agent, to produce a very rigid agglomera-teof close texture. I

Of course, it s not excluded to assist, agglomeration by the use ofbinding agents or chemical or physical means, such as heat.

The metallurgical product according to the invention may obviouslycomprise substances other than metallic fibres. More particularly. itmay comprise metals in powder form or any other added substances, thepresence of which either in or above the molten metal to be obtained maybe indispensable or even simply advantageous.

More particularly, it is possible to introduce the added materialsbetween "two compressions to which the fibres are subjected. Inparticular, this addition may be effected by blowing or injecting powderbetween the fibres through nozzles Ill.

In certain cases, it may be of advantage to localise the added materialson the surface of the agglomerates by adding said materials at the entryto the second press.

The rigidity of the agglomerate according .to the invention may likewisebe enhanced by imparting a twisting movement to the whole of its fibresduring the compression of the latter. For effecting this twisting, it ismerely necessary, instead of directing the axes of the compressing rollsparallel as shown in Figure 2, to cause the axes of said rolls to make asmall angle as shown in Figure3 for the rolls 1' and 8'. 7

It is-likewise possible to introduce into each agglomerate one or morecontinuous metal wires of suitable nature. The continuous metal wiresmay be introduced into the mass of the fibres in order to obtainparticularly regular, low-percentage. proportions of certain additions.All the materials, metallic and otherwise, entering into the compositionof the agglomerate to be melted are thus extremely divided andintimately mixed, which assists their combination at the moment offusion.

The wires are introduced into the mass of fibres for example as showninFigure 1; The 'wire 23 shown is guided in the axis of thevhopper 2 byanother hopper 24. Each press may likewise be fed with a ribbon orcylinder of metallic fibres which have undergone a preliminarycompression in a press not shown.

The metallurgical products according to the invention may be utilisedadvantageously as electrodes in an electric melting furnace, such as anclectric-arc furnace. In this-case, it isadvantageous to effect in asequence of continuous operations first the compression of the metallicfibres in the form of continuous rodsv of any desired proflle,'then theintroduction of said rods into the furnace in which they are melted andfrom which the molten bath is cast.

Of course, in principle, the charge of a melting furnace may beintroduced in a continuous manner in the form of agglomerated rodsaccording the final compression.

to the invention, also in the case in which the furnace, instead ofbeing heated electrically, is heated in some other way, for example bygas.

Another advantageous application of the metallic agglomerates accordingto the inven- 5 'tion is represented by welding rods.

of powder or in any other form. 15

Alloying of these'difierent metals is effected during the melting of thewelding rod. They are therefore obtained without the necessity ofrolling or drawing them.

What I claim is: 20

1. A process of manufacture of a metallurgical product intended to bemelted for forming a metalaor an alloy, comprising subjecting to apreliminary compression metallic fibres having practically the samecross-section throughout 25 their entire length and distributed in apractically uniform manner throughout the entire length ofsaid product,addingvmaterials between the metallic fibres of the semi-compressedproduct so obtained, and passing afterwards this 3 semi-compressedproduct through a press for compressing it to the final desired degree.

2. A process of manufacture of a metallurgical product intended to bemelted for forming a metal or an alloy; comprising subjecting to a 35preliminary compression metallic fibres having metal or an alloy,comprising subjecting to a preliminary compression metallic fibreshaving practically the same cross-section throughout 50 their entirelength and distributed in a practically uniform manner throughout theentire length of said'product, adding materials between the metallicfibres at the periphery of the semi compressed-product so obtained, andpassing afterwards this semi-compressed product through a press forcompresing it to the final desired degree. 4. Aprocess of manufacture ofa metallurgical product intended to be melted for forming a 00 metal oran alloy, comprising subjecting to a preliminary compression metallicfibres having practically the same cross-section throughout their entirelength and distributed in' a practically uniform manner throughout theentire length 05 of said product, passing afterwards the semicompressedproduct soobtained through a press for compressing it to the finaldesired degree, and imparting a'twisting movement to the whole of theconstituent fibres of the product during ROBERT MAUTSCH.

